The Deputy Prime Minister insisted he planned to lead the party until 2020 - but his team gave three possible dates he could step down

Nick Clegg sparked frenzied speculation about the Lib Dem leadership last night after failing to give a clear answer on when he might stand down.

The Deputy Prime Minister insisted he planned to lead the party until 2020 – but only after his team had put forward three different possibilities as to when he will quit.

The farcical mixed message came amid growing speculation that Danny Alexander and Vince Cable are manoeuvring to replace him.

Mr Clegg’s aides first indicated that he would fight the next election and remain leader ‘beyond’ 2015 – giving no further guarantees.

But sources close to Mr Clegg then suggested he would quit as leader if the Lib Dems were not part of a coalition government in 2015.

When asked whether Mr Clegg would stay on as leader until 2020, a spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister said: ‘If the Liberal Democrats are back in government again then Nick Clegg intends to serve a full term.’

Mr Clegg’s office then tried to backtrack, with his spokesman saying: ‘Our entire focus is on delivering Liberal Democrat priorities in government and then getting the Liberal Democrats back into government in 2015.’

But the spokesman also noted that Mr Clegg was ‘only 47’ – a clear nod to him being able to embark on a second career, perhaps as an EU commissioner.

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His intention to quit the leadership if it did not come with the trappings of power that come with the Deputy Prime Ministership threatened to overshadow his keynote speech to the party’s spring conference.

Three hours later, after frantic talks behind the scenes, Mr Clegg’s office adopted yet another position. They tried to quell the leadership speculation, insisting: ‘Nick Clegg intends to be the leader of the Liberal Democrats today, tomorrow and into the 2015 election and through the whole of the next parliament.

The farcical mixed message came amid growing speculation that Danny Alexander (left) and Vince Cable are manoeuvring to replace Clegg

'He intends to be leader of the Liberal Democrats whether or not we are in government.’

But the backtracking came after Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, emerged as one of the front-runners to replace him.

He will have to fight off competition from Left-wing party president Tim Farron, who is popular with activists, and Business Secretary Vince Cable, who is the most recognisable Lib Dem apart from Mr Clegg.

Leading Liberal Democrats believe Mr Alexander’s high profile in recent weeks is part of a concerted effort by Team Clegg to position his protégé as a possible replacement. Mr Alexander – who has recently had a makeover, ditching his glasses and hiring a media adviser – has been reappointed to lead negotiations in the event of another hung parliament.

Asked on Sky’s Murnaghan programme if he wanted the top job, Mr Alexander refused to rule himself out, saying: ‘There’s no vacancy, I hope there isn’t a vacancy for many years to come. Nick Clegg is doing a fantastic job, I’ve got a big job to do.’

Mr Cable is understood to view Mr Alexander’s ambitions with incredulity and still fancies his chances of the top job. ‘Vince has been dormant, but he can erupt again,’ one Lib Dem observer noted.